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clovetra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
this was heartbreaking. to begin with, i wasn’t sold on this book, but the more i read, the more i became invested and felt both melancholy and serenity.
i really can’t explain why this book enthralled me so much. the writing was superb, but although the protagonist lacked characterisation beyond her motivations, i was rooting for her.
usually when i review a book or contemplate my thoughts surrounding it, i like to break down my thoughts based on the writing, the plot, the characters, and how it made me feel emotionally. but this book is the first that is difficult to explain why it evoked such deep emotions in me. maybe because i can relate to the protagonist, who feels as though she is meandering her whole life. maybe it’s because i wanted to see if she would find civilisation, and how the book ends. or maybe this book is enigmatic and truly sits in its own field. i can’t say a single book ive read comes close to this one in terms of its plot & deeper themes. it is in a genre of its own, floating around on bookshelves, just like the protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
Moderate: Terminal illness, Excrement, Medical content, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
aideus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Violence, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
mikathereviewer's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Literally nothing happens in this book. We get thought-provoking questions, but never answers. We get a little bit of plot (barely) and get no answers and rather plot holes. We get a character-driven story that has flat characters. There were over 40 characters but we only got the names of about 10 and only any information besides that of 3 or 4 (including protagonist!). But weirdly we get explained with great detail how almost all 40 people died instead of just moving on and perhaps trying to make the pace a bit faster in the book as literally everything was slow-paced and even major events weren't faster than medium-paced. You can't tell me that this book was fast-paced. 'Cause so many things repeat itself, especially near the end, which by the way is A LOT dragged, instead of ending it sooner. We get to know due to the protagonist not knowing these things what genital body parts are, where they are, how to write and how to read and so much more but actual questions (which I don't mention to not spoiler) were NEVER answered. One could say it's due to the book wanting us to think, but honestly it feels more like the story wasn't really finished or thought through. I get it when we should get our own answers for thought-provoking questions, but for the plot of this story? Plots are supposed to be explained and as I said, while reading it felt more like a unfinished or not thoufht through story than actually wanting us to make up our own theories.
I gave it 2 instead of 1 star as we get 1 plot related thing actually answered (even though I didn't think about it that much and was rather useless, but we get at least 1 answer so that's fair I guess). I also gave it 2 instead of 1 star as the beginning wasn't actually that bad. The whole though provoking questions and the backstories of that happened before the story started was interesting. And the consequences and rules were interesting too and they also somewhat got explained or we could at least make up our own theories about it, which in this case (since it wasn't a major thing) was actually cool.
15. July 2024
I gave it 2 instead of 1 star as we get 1 plot related thing actually answered (even though I didn't think about it that much and was rather useless, but we get at least 1 answer so that's fair I guess). I also gave it 2 instead of 1 star as the beginning wasn't actually that bad. The whole though provoking questions and the backstories of that happened before the story started was interesting. And the consequences and rules were interesting too and they also somewhat got explained or we could at least make up our own theories about it, which in this case (since it wasn't a major thing) was actually cool.
15. July 2024
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, Terminal illness, Blood, Excrement, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Suicide, Dementia, and Abandonment
ambear16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
tlaynejones's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
2.0
No.
Maybe my brain has melted from the relentless onslaught of euthanasia (ableism?) and suicide but I don’t think this is a particularly feminist novel. I think even if it was back in the mid 90s, it doesn’t stand the test of time. I also found some of the events/ learnings/ descriptions related to the protagonist to feel clunky and or inauthentic.
This is a bleak story, and there is not a lot of complex character development; other than the MC all the characters are barely sketched in.
Read with caution
Maybe my brain has melted from the relentless onslaught of euthanasia (ableism?) and suicide but I don’t think this is a particularly feminist novel. I think even if it was back in the mid 90s, it doesn’t stand the test of time. I also found some of the events/ learnings/ descriptions related to the protagonist to feel clunky and or inauthentic.
This is a bleak story, and there is not a lot of complex character development; other than the MC all the characters are barely sketched in.
Read with caution
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
sea_sea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book is not at all what I expected. It was amazingly written, but truly terrifying. Reading it made me deeply uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Torture, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
rowanelisa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahmoosemama's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Abandonment
Moderate: Terminal illness and Murder
archaicrobin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First of all, if you’re someone that needs answers I’d caution you on reading this one. Everything is ambiguous and speculative and there are no clear cut answers or revelations, only theories. I love speculative fiction and while I do love answers, I can still appreciate a good book that gives you nothing but questions.
I Who Have Never Known men is a feminist dystopian tale from the 90s that starts with questions and ends with questions, all asked and attempted to be answered by the main character who has no name and is only referred to as “the child”. She is the youngest of 40 women trapped in a cage, in an unknown location, tormented by unknown men, for unknown reasons, until one day…. They’re not.
This one kept me reading in hopes of figuring out what was going on, and what felt at first felt like your normal dystopian quickly turns into a speculative story about what it means to be a human. I loved this one and am still thinking about it!
I Who Have Never Known men is a feminist dystopian tale from the 90s that starts with questions and ends with questions, all asked and attempted to be answered by the main character who has no name and is only referred to as “the child”. She is the youngest of 40 women trapped in a cage, in an unknown location, tormented by unknown men, for unknown reasons, until one day…. They’re not.
This one kept me reading in hopes of figuring out what was going on, and what felt at first felt like your normal dystopian quickly turns into a speculative story about what it means to be a human. I loved this one and am still thinking about it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, and Abandonment
wytnie's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I liked it but i feel some things may have gone over my head and i'd love to read it again or get other peoples opinions on what happened.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment